Stuffing-box packing



(No Model.)

I R. WALSH. STUPFING B0X PAGKING.

170.487,737. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

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UNITED STATESl PATENT Orricn.

RICHARD IVALSH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STUFFING-BOX PACKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,737, dated October 7, 1890.

Application filed December 6, 1888. Serial No. 292,849. (No model.)

`To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, RICHARD WALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stuffing- Box Packings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a sufficiently full, clear, and exact description thereof as to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the said invention.

This invention relates to packing for stuffing-boxes, and has for its object the furnishing of a durable packing material readily inserted in stuffing-boxes and capable of automatically adapting itself to the inequalities in the surfaces of piston-rods and valvestems working through it, and presenting for wear upon the rods a durable metallic surface, which adapts itself to the imperfections of form in the rods.

To effect these desiderata, this invention consists in a combination of a ductile and iiexible metallic strip with an elastic indiarubber backing and an enveloping fibrous cover adapted to retain a lubricant, as hereinafter fully described, and shown in the drawings annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l shows an inside View of a strip of packing embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section thereof; Fig. 3, a section of a stuffing-box With the packing applied.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures.

A represents a flat strip of iiexible and ductile metal, lead or tin or alloys thereof answering the purpose; B, a flat strip of vulcanized india-rubber; C, an envelope or cover of fibrous material-cotton or hemp threadsbraided around the india-rubber or Woven into a cloth, cut into strips, (preferably in a bias direction, so as to better secure flexibility,) and wrapped around the elastic backing B.

D is an outer envelope of fibers, covering and binding together the india-rubber strip B with its fibrous envelope C and the metallic strip A. This envelope D may be made in the same manner as-the envelope C, the braided form being preferable on account of its superior binding properties and neater appearance.` The packing is then saturated with paraiiine or other lubricant.

E is a stuffing-box provided with a gland F and containing a piston-rod G.

To use the packing above described, it is cut into pieces of sufficient length and bent into rings around the rod with the fiat side of the metallic strip A toward the piston-rod G. The rings or packings are placed with the cuts or so as to break joints or to be covered by the uncut portions of the contiguous rings, and the gland is then forced down in the usual manner by the screws H. The packing is thus forced toward the rod G by transmission of pressure through the india-rubber, acting like a iiuid in pressing in all directions when confined and compressed. The metallic strip A, yielding, applies itself closely to the form of the rod G. Upon setting the rod G in motion the thin portion of the envelope D between the metallic strips Aand the rod G lubrieatcs the parts until it wears oif, and the metallic strip A then coming in contact with the rod G forms a durable wearing-surface, and is found to improve the surface of the rod.

I am aware that stuffing-box packings having an elastic backing and a face or wearing portion of parallel wires bound thereto with a textile or'fibrous envelope have been made. Such packings Wear unevenly and the Wires become disintegrated and form no part of my invention; also, that packings having a softmetal face clasped or nailed to an elastic backing have been made. These are deficient in flexibility and difficult t-o bend and apply closely to rods and are not claimed as within the scope of my invention, while in mine the strips will slide in the sheaths of fibers and bend readily.

I am also aware that packings having Wearing-faces of ductile metal, combined with cork backings inclosed in fibrous envelopes, have been used. Such packings have not the property of transmitting and converting efficiently the force of compression applied by the gland into the lateral pressure against the rod, and are hereby disclaimed.

I am also aware that packings of india-rubber have been made with lamina of woven Wire applied to their wearing-surfaces. Such woven-Wire fabrics by wearing through the IOO Wires at the points of intersection reduced the Wires to pieces of short length with sharp ends of irregular form and impaired both the paekings `amd rods to which they were applied, and are also diselaimed; but,

Having described my invention and the mode of making the saine, what I claim is- A stuing-box packing consisting of a vulcanized india-rubber strip enveloped in zt 1o fibrous covering adapted to absorb and 1etain lubricants, in combination with a flat duetile metallic facing-strip bound to the india-rubber by a fibrous envelope and the Whole saturated with a lubricant, substantiztlly as and for the purpose set forth.

RICHARD WALSH.

Witnesses:

J. DANIEL EBY, ALEX. H. SIEGEL. 

